Meddlesome Spawns
by CRMediaGal
Summary: After a long hiatus from date nights, Severus has the perfect evening planned for wooing his wife, but it would seem that his and Hermione's three offspring have their own agendas in mind. Written for the first SSHG Gift Fest on LiveJournal. One-shot, AU, Post-Hogwarts.


**A/N: I'd been uncertain about posting this piece, to be honest...but I've decided, in honour of a certain snarky Potions professor's birthday, to do so. :)**

**This piece was written for the first SSHG Gift Fest on LiveJournal (not to be confused with the SSHG Prompt Fest, which has been running for a few years). I've only changed a minor grammatical error or two, so the gist of it is very much as it was when it was originally posted. You can find more information about my prompt below. Unfortunately, my giftee had to drop out of the fest, so this piece was gifted both to her and the entire SSHG Gift Fest community.  
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_**Many thanks to my wonderful beta, Brittny, for her immeasurable help!**_

********Disclaimer: _Harry Potter_ is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I'm just playing in her sandbox**. No money, just fun. Artwork is credited to lied on DeviantArt and entitled "Pour une famille".**********

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><p><strong><strong>LJ Fest:<strong> **SSHG Gift Fest**  
><strong>Recipient:<strong> **iulia_linnea + SSHG Gift Fest community**  
><strong>Creator:<strong> **CRMediaGal**  
><strong>Beta(s):<strong> **Brittny**  
><strong>Rating:<strong> **PG**  
><strong>Warning(s):<strong> **Mild Language**  
><strong>Suggested Prompt:<strong> **Hermione and Severus have meddling kids.**  
><strong>Optional - Characters or Side Pairings I'd like to receive:<strong> **If Luna somehow fits into the fic, that would be lovely; if not, no worries.

_**Meddlesome Spawns**_

**By CRMediaGal**

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><p>Severus was looking forward to a night off from parental duties. It would be the first official date night he and his wife, Hermione, had had in well over six months.<p>

_Six months and eleven days, to be precise_, Severus's nagging conscience reminded him as he checked his appearance in a full-length mirror.

The grizzled, war-weary wizard that stared back at him with a weighty frown dampened Severus's enthusiasm—a bit. That was, until a certain witch's arms emerged from behind his back, wrapping themselves possessively around his midsection like a coiling snake. He smirked as her bright-eyed face materialised before his reflection, her short frame having to rise on tiptoe in an effort to appear more intimidating.

"No scowling," she gently scolded her husband's sour indication in the mirror; she reached up to leave a small peck on the back of his neck.

Severus's former frown turned upbeat—well, for _him_, at any rate. He returned his wife's happy grin with a half-cocked smile of his own.

Seemingly reassured, Hermione sauntered out of view and returned to her vanity to finish getting ready for their night out. Severus had been observing her inconspicuously out of the corner of his eye for some time whilst they both dressed, enjoying the rather sultry exhibition of the nape of Hermione's neck, as well as the V-necked dress that showed off a flattering view of her back.

_Six months and eleven days..._

Tonight was going to be bloody fantastic, if all panned out according to Severus's plans. Hermione knew nothing of how they would be spending their evening, only that she needed to 'dress up' for the occasion. Not having an inkling as to what was up her conniving husband's sleeve hadn't stopped Hermione from pestering him for answers, though to no avail and to much internal frustration.

A fancy dinner at a newly opened, upscale restaurant in Diagon Alley (and to be accompanied by a violin player and their own private dining area) would be followed by tea and some much needed reading downtime at Flourish & Botts, where the amicable store manager, who knew the couple exceptionally well, would be providing the Snapes an exclusive hour in the shop to themselves, staying open later than usual at Severus's behest. Lastly, they would return home to a (hopefully) quiet house of snoozing children and a ready-for-a-late-night-romp wife. That was, if all went according to plan.

_Yes. Bloody fantastic._

Severus was quite pleased with tonight's perfect scheme. He could only pray there would be no hiccups involved. It was essential that he finally get his wife to himself for a few blissful hours, for it had been far too long since they had last shared a romantic fling. As much as he adored their three children—two highly active boys, ages seven and five, and a quiet but mischievous little girl, age three—he desperately needed an evening sans tiny, clamouring feet and high-pitched squeals. He desired much more of Hermione's creamy, perfectly curved limbs for his hands to roam for a change, not to mention that firm derriere he was so often forced to admire from afar, such as now.

Severus gazed at Hermione via the corner of his full-length mirror. Her voluptuous breasts had filled out nicely after breastfeeding three children, and the black, dazzling evening gown she wore enhanced them to the point that it was already driving Severus bonkers. That unrestrained mane of thick, brown curls she had never sought to tame, too, was cascading over her sculpted shoulders which also deserved to be touched. And kissed. And paid ample attention.

_Steady on, ole' boy._ Severus inhaled sharply and minded a nearby clock. _Yes... Everything is on schedule._

"Daddy?" came an unexpected, sweet-sounding voice at his feet, interrupting his hungry thoughts; his daughter had entered their bedroom without his awareness and was lightly yanking on his trousers to get his attention.

Severus smiled down at her, pausing his adjustment of his cravat. "Yes, Sascha?" he inquired curiously.

Sascha—a spitting image of her mother, only with much darker curls, duskier freckles, and a paler complexion—stared up at him, shrewd eyes studying her father's handsome attire with heightened suspicion. "Where are you going?"

"Out, little one. Remember?"

"But, where, Daddy?"

"I'm taking Mummy somewhere special."

"Where?"

"I can't say, love. It's a surprise—"

"_Where_?"

Hermione giggled at the toddler's persistence. Severus, growing somewhat exasperated, bent down to pick Sascha up. She willingly allowed him to cradle her close and peck her chubby cheeks, though she kept her much-beloved blankie even closer at hand.

"Now, what's the matter, Sascha?" he tried to coax an explanation out of the pouty tot; he feared she might be in a rather clingy mood, for she had been sulkier than usual all afternoon.

"I don't want you to go, Daddy."

"Ahhh." Alas, his fears had been realised; he eyed his daughter seriously. "We won't be gone long, though."

"But, you _will_!"

"No, we won't, Sascha, I promise. As I said—"

"I want you to stay!" she began whining in protest. "_Please_, Daddy?"

"But, Aunt Luna's coming tonight, love, and you adore when she babysits—"

"I don't want Aunt Looney!"

"_Luna_, Sascha," Hermione calmly corrected her, turning away from her vanity to look the child squarely in the eyes. "And your brothers should _not_ be teaching you to say otherwise. We love Aunt Luna, don't we?"

Sascha, not quite following Hermione's underlying meaning, nodded to her mother but continued to tug on a few of Severus's buttons along the front of his coat in earnest. "I don't want her to come," she insisted miserably, her enchanting irises growing misty over her parents' impending departure. "I want you and Mummy!"

"Oh, Sascha, you'll be fine." Severus added encouragingly, "You'll keep your brothers in line for me, won't you?"

Although still pouting, Sascha gave a silent nod of consent. She liked it when her father requested that she be put in charge. Her brothers sometimes called her 'bossy', but she was only reprimanding them the way he would have done, and she liked to be like him.

Severus kissed Sascha again, placed the little witch back on the ground, and clasped the remainder of his wrist buttons closed whilst staring down at her. "Now, why don't you go downstairs and figure out what you and Aunt Luna are going to read this evening?" he suggested as enthusiastically as possible, wanting to wheedle Sascha out of her bad mood.

Unfortunately, all Sascha managed in return was a woeful-sounding, "Okay, Daddy."

Adding a petulant sigh to guilt-tripping effect, and dragging her blankie behind her, Sascha pitter-patted out of Severus's and Hermione's bedroom, visibly moping as she went. Her parents, who had been watching her dramatic exit, exchanged a gradual shake of their heads.

_This better not be a sign of hiccups to come_, Severus thought nervously to himself.

Hermione quickly distracted him from his contemplations, however. She rose to her feet, crossed the room, and handed him a bejeweled necklace that Severus had bestowed on her on their most recent wedding anniversary to secure around her neck. She turned around and stared into the full-length mirror as Severus draped the prized jewel around her bare skin.

"Poor thing," she intoned quietly. "We really _do_ need this night to ourselves, though."

"Indeed."

When Hermione turned around to face him, her former cheerful disposition appeared threatened by Sascha's mope fest. "You don't think," she asked hesitantly, "we're being selfish about this, do you?"

Severus raised a questioning eyebrow. "Selfish? We're going out, just the two of us, for a couple hours, Hermione. I should think _not_."

"I know, I know. It's just..." Hermione's eyes trailed to the open doorway, where Sascha had broodingly disappeared from moments ago.

"Hermione, she'll be _fine_," Severus asserted, offering as much encouragement as he could muster.

Thankfully, Hermione easily came round. "Yes, of course; you're right. I'm just being silly."

"You're being _gullible_," Severus playfully corrected her, earning a huff of dissent.

"I am not!"

"You give into their whining far too easily, my dear."

"I most certainly do _not_! Might I remind you, my _dear husband_, that it's _you_ who usually winds up letting _that_ little one get her way?"

Severus muttered defensively under his breath, his words too soft for Hermione to discern, though she thought she caught something along the lines of "not_ all_ the time," amongst his many grumblings. He turned away from Hermione to redirect his attention towards finishing buttoning his left wrist.

A few minutes later, with both properly attired and ready to depart, Hermione snatched up a matching purse and shawl on the bed and led the way down the stairs, with an extra skip in her step. Her excitement had been restored and she was looking forward to a romantic evening sans any rough housing, spoiled attitudes, or potty training.

On the other hand, Severus was now feeling the parental-related pangs of a few of those silent reservations his wife had expressed mere minutes ago; but he kept them strictly to himself.

_Six months and eleven days_, he firmly reminded himself. _Don't you dare give in now over Sascha's inconvenient moment to throw a pity party._

As soon as they reached the bottom stoop, their two boys—one with wavy black hair that stopped at his shoulders; the other with short, tightly spun chestnut curls—came galloping towards them, arms flailing and their voices reverberating across the hallway as the elder chased the younger. The smaller boy, his face dotted with light freckles, clutched onto the back of Hermione's dress, panting wildly.

"Mummy! Save me!" he half pleaded, half cackled.

"Hyatt, please! Don't tear at Mummy's dress—"

Suddenly, the boy named Hyatt rushed in between Severus's long legs, sending the graceful wizard uncharacteristically tumbling forward. In an effort not to trip over the child, Severus quickly grabbed onto the wall. Hyatt crawled his way free from beneath Severus's feet and made a beeline for the sitting area located at the far end of the narrow hallway.

Severus, who had barely managed to right himself, snarled over his shoulder, "For Merlin's sake, Hyatt! Watch it, would you?"

"Sorry, Daddy!" Hyatt squealed, though he wasn't necessarily paying attention.

_Yes. We_ need _this ruddy night out._

Their elder son had just made it to his parents' sides, where Severus was swiping at his cloak with angry flair and Hermione was calling after Hyatt to cease running, when the boy found himself being yanked backward by the hood of his collar. "_You_," Severus addressed his son through clenched teeth, "stop chasing your brother this instant."

"But, Dad, I—"

"That's enough, Sid," Hermione chimed in, stepping forward to ruffle the seven-year-old's raven locks; it was virtually the same texture and colour as Severus's. "You two need to calm down now. Aunt Luna will be here any minute. Don't you give her any grief, understood?"

Severus waited for their son, Sidney, to answer Hermione good and proper before chancing letting him free. As soon as he let him go, though, Sidney took off after his brother again, completely ignoring their warnings.

"Oi! Hyatt! Aunt Looney's coming!"

"And you'll stop that at once, too!" Hermione exclaimed after him, crossing her arms heatedly over her chest.

Sidney twirled around as he reached the sitting room and conveyed an apologetic look. "Sorry, Mum!" Then, in haste, he disappeared. The two boys could be heard jumping about and laughing hysterically amongst themselves, much to their parents' growing trepidation at the other end of the hallway.

"They're off the wall tonight. I hope they behave for Luna..."

At the wrung out expression now marring Hermione's face, Severus roped an arm around her waist and brought her closer. "Let them wear themselves out, love. They've been cooped up inside all day."

"Yes, well, it's _still_ raining," she sighed into his cloak and nodded towards a kitchen window catty-corner to where they stood, "and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon."

"Well, if we let them run amuck now," Severus whispered into her ear, sending an enticing shiver down her spine, "they'll sleep like the dead for us tonight..."

"We can only hope, can't we?"

Hermione flashed Severus a suggestive smile that not only had his heart fluttering several beats faster. She then stalked off to put a stop to the boys' loud racket, allowing Severus a private moment to enjoy the alluring motion her body made as it sashayed seductively in that splendid-looking evening gown.

_Thank Merlin for tonight_, he reflected appreciatively, entirely lost in thought until...

"Daddy?"

Severus peered down at the captivating sight of Sascha once more, who was tugging at his trousers yet again, staring up at him with that imploring, terribly convincing pout of hers. At once, he put up his guard and tried to maintain resistance.

"Yes, Sascha?"

"Don't go!" she started up again, her lower lip quivering.

Her saddened look pained him greatly. "Sascha, come now—"

"I don't want you to go away!"

With a furrowed brow, Severus scooped up the toddler and held her tightly to his chest. "We'll only be gone a little while, love..."

"_No_!" she whimpered in protest, squeezing the wizard's heart in two as she proceeded to rub at her wet eyes.

_Six months and eleven days, Severus. Don't you dare. Hold. Your. Ground._

"Sascha, now stop this," he pleaded softly and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Aunt Luna is so looking forward to playing with you."

"_I don't wanna_!" she cried out, startling him by how poorly she was taking their leaving. "No, Daddy, no! I don't want Aunt Luna! _No_!"

"Oh, dear," came Hermione's sigh of apprehension; she had reconvened with him in the hallway and was taking in their daughters' growing tantrum. "Here, let me try to reason with her."

Although reluctant to hand her off, Severus knew if he didn't allow his wife to take charge of the reigns—and soon—he would wind up caving into his littlest's weepy, heartfelt demands. Hesitantly, he allowed Hermione to pry their crying daughter from his arms and closed his eyes as the two vanished into the kitchen, wishing to block out Sascha's snivelling and crying and focus on what was supposed to be a stirring, rousing night ahead of them.

_Six months and eleven days. This_ can't _get mucked up now._

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><p>Aunt Luna arrived just in the nick of time, bringing with her a handful of befuddling items from home that had the children enthralled and easily engaged, including Sascha, who had been inconsolable up until Luna's arrival.<p>

Upon sighting an enormous dream catcher that Luna extracted from inside an oversized duffle bag, she finally ceased her tears long enough for Luna to explain its specifications; or, rather, _Luna_'s distinctive specifications for its use. She dangled it before the girl's watery eyes and Sascha was instantly hooked, her flushed face lighting up with wonder and curiosity.

Finding that all the children were preoccupied for the moment, Severus and Hermione snuck out of the sitting area where everyone was gathered—minus Hyatt, who had chased a handful of pixie-looking creatures out of the house and into the backyard—as quietly as possible, wishing to take their leave before Sascha potentially started crying again.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Luna," said Hermione, giving the ever quirky blonde a quick, appreciative hug; Severus simply nodded his gratitude, preferring to keep a comfortable distance between himself and the strange former Ravenclaw. He understood that Luna Lovegood was a good friend of his wife's and tooted to the beat of her own magic, but the woman had the ability to make him considerably uneasy, particularly when she started off on one of her mindless chatters about some ruddy creature that wasn't visible to the naked eye.

"Of course," Luna replied in that airy, carefree way of hers. "We'll enjoy ourselves. I have all sorts of activities planned for this evening."

"Wonderful! The children will love that, I'm sure!"

"Just don't let them stay up too late, Luna," Severus piped in; the last thing he needed was for his wooing plans later on to take a dramatic turn, perhaps with Sascha or Hyatt crawling into bed with them when things were just getting started.

"Yes, nine at the latest," Hermione agreed with a smile.

"Time matters not when a young mind's otherwise engaged."

The oddity of that reply, as well as that familiar faraway gleam in Luna's eyes, didn't provide Severus the closing reassurance he desired before taking his leave; but, seeing as Hermione appeared content with the state of things, he hastily let it go and pulled her noiselessly out the back door. Luna watched their departure through the glass door, though it was uncertain whether she was really observing their exit or thinking on something else entirely.

_Please, dear Merlin_, Severus prayed as he and Hermione hiked their way across the wet backyard; thankfully, it had stopped raining, _don't let those kids be awake when we return._

"Be good, Hyatt!" Hermione called to their son, who was running around the thick trunk of a tree in hot pursuit of a few pixie-like beings.

Hyatt halted running to wave at his parents as they passed. "Bye, Mummy! Bye, Daddy!"

"Behave yourself," Severus added before he and Hermione stepped over the dividing line between their yard and their neighbour's and took one another calmly by the hand, Hermione prepared to Side-Along Disapparate beside Severus.

Suddenly, they heard it. Shrieks. Terrible cries that were so painstakingly loud they both knew at once whose exceptionally strong pair of lungs they belonged to: Sascha.

A sinking expression materialised on Hermione's face, but Severus squeezed her hand, fully determined to carry on. Come Hell or a ferocious hippogriff, he _would_ have Hermione to himself for the precious hours ahead. Sascha would tire and cease crying for them, surely. She wouldn't miss them for long.

"She'll be fine," he repeated, not at all trusting the sound of his own voice, which had shrunk as Sascha's cries intensified.

Hermione crinkled her nose. "Um, are you sure, love?"

Severus's jaw went taught. Sascha was now howling cries for 'Mummy' and 'Daddy', and they were heart-clenching to overhear. Alas, it was now or forever hold his peace and turn back.

_Six months and eleven days, Severus!_ his conscience heeded. _For Merlin's sake! You can do this!_

Severus straightened and squared his shoulders, resolution prevailing upon his well-defined countenance. "Come. If it gets any worse, or if she doesn't stop, Luna will call for us. You know she will."

Hermione peered back towards the house a short moment, hesitating at the sound of their daughter's ferocious-sounding cries, but Severus's steadfast grip on her hand seemed to finally persuade her to trudge onward. She grasped his hand firmer still, nodded approvingly, and, together, they Disapparated to The Leaky Cauldron, with a peculiar tug clasping against the back of Severus's cloak that he couldn't account for upon their arrival.

* * *

><p>Dinner at Diagon Alley's newest hit restaurant, Bub &amp; Bubbery's Brew &amp; Blends, started off without a hitch in Severus's plans. The couple was escorted to a reserved private room exquisitely decked out in glowing, hovering lights, lit candles, and their own violinist, who serenaded them softly from a darkened corner that didn't distract them from each other's company.<p>

Hermione was indeed surprised by the dinner excursion, and even more impressed that her clever husband had successfully managed to seize a reservation. "And on a Saturday night, no less!" she gasped with excitement. It had been publicised in _The Daily Prophet_ weeks ago that the restaurant was booked solid into the following month. How Severus had undertaken getting them a private room was a feat he refused to disclose to her, no matter how much Hermione nagged him to spill his secret.

"It's good to have a husband who's so resourceful," she teased over a bottle of the finest Elven-made wine which Severus specifically requested be available upon their arrival.

For the next forty-five minutes or so, the happy couple toasted one another's successes, the joy of family life, and played footsie beneath the table, brushing fingertips or holding hands frequently. The children, of course, popped up in conversation almost constantly, and yet, both were quite vocal about the benefit of this momentary 'breather' from everyday parenthood.

"This is lovely, truly!" Hermione made a point of saying several times over to Severus, who looked on, pleased, and, more importantly, content that _she_ was content. "I hope Sascha's settled down," she chanced bringing up once they were on their second glass of wine, "and that the boys are behaving themselves..."

"I'm sure all's well, love." Severus offered a sliver of an attractive grin from behind his wine glass. "Chaotic, naturally, but well. Luna would have notified us by now if Sascha was still a problem."

"Yes, that's true." Bitten by a sudden thought, Hermione laughed and some of the strain in her eyes dissipated; she took another hearty sip of her wine before conveying, "You know, it would be just like those little rascals to disrupt our _one_ romantic evening in months."

"Don't even suggest it," Severus hissed and shot his wife a sportive glare. "I already know the odds are highly stacked against us as it is." At Hermione's puzzled stare, he intoned, giving her a darker look, "I can barely touch you these days without one of the boys stealing you away from me."

Hermione giggled at that, blushing alluringly from her side of the table. That was as far as Severus got in appraising his beautiful witch, however.

All of a sudden, their food materialised on their empty plates, the aroma of the finest French cuisine enough to shut the two up for the next crucial moments so that they could sample their expensive meals.

It was a moment or two later, as Hermione was savouring a rather fantastic bite of her food, that Severus began muttering softly, resuming the subject of their wee ones.

"Meddlesome toe rags," he began mumbling between bites.

Hermione met that remark with a thoughtful grin. "They're something."

"_Infuriating_ somethings, more like," Severus maintained, though the subtle twinkle in his eyes gave away his true regard, and to Hermione alone. "Exasperating...wonderful...insane little buggers that they are."

Silently, Hermione reached across the table to envelope Severus's hand in hers. Their quiet exchange spoke volumes about what the two were contemplating: as much as they were enjoying this precious, private moment together, they adored the growth of their family more.

It was during this sweet consideration that an unexpected blue light came pouncing into the room, entering directly through the wall opposite them. It hopped over to their table and rose high into the air. Hermione's hand inadvertently slipped out of Severus's as the couple's faces fell, recognising the magic to be none other than Luna's Patronus.

"Hello!" Luna spoke perkily through her Patronus's mouth, a rabbit. "Everything's well, but I thought I should tell you that Hyatt's been missing for over an hour. We've searched the grounds high and low for him but he seems to be highly invested in his game of hide and go seek. He's exceptionally good, did you know? I'm sure he'll turn up eventually. Happy dining!"

_Brilliant. We're not gone some sixty minutes and one of my sons is missing._

Hermione was scurrying out of her chair and on her feet in a flash, her pale countenance the epitome of panic and worry. Severus, meanwhile, made the point of wiping his mouth with his napkin and throwing it down on the table first before getting to his feet with a hard scowl.

"Hyatt's missing?" Hermione was blubbering, eyes wild with fright. "My son's _missing_? Oh, gods! Severus, how could she let him out of her sight? Why would she send us this message _now_—"

"Calm down, Hermione." Severus reached out to squeeze her hands and forced her to look at him. "I'm sure he's just hiding somewhere in the upper part of the house. You know how he likes to fit himself into tight spaces. Go on ahead of me; I'll take care of paying the bill and catch up with you at the house."

"Yes, yes, all right!"

Hermione wasted little time collecting her wits. She pecked Severus's cheek and made a mad dash to the door, forgetting her shawl and purse that were draped over the back of her chair.

With a disappointed toss of his head, Severus summoned his wife's belongings into his hands and was reaching inside his coat pocket to retrieve his wallet when a bit of odd shuffling nearby put his senses on high alert. He ceased moving to listen more carefully.

Had that been the violinist? No, he had stopped playing and was gathering up his sheets of music.

Then he heard it again, followed by something else; it sounded like...

_Giggling? Merlin's arse..._

Severus reached down and slowly pulled the linen table cloth up to a sight that took his breath away: sure enough, it was Hyatt, crouched underneath their dinner table, his hands pressed firmly to his mouth to keep from laughing too loudly. At the sight of his father bent over and ogling him, he dropped his hands and shot Severus a wicked grin that would put the Weasley twins' to shame.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"_Hyatt_!" Severus exclaimed, unable to reel in his amazement. "Come out from under there!"

"Owww," the boy moaned but crawled out as instructed.

"_What on earth_? How did you...? _Hyatt_," Severus snarled but kept his cool; he bent down to place his hands firmly on his son's shoulders, "you know better than to pull a stunt like this!"

Hyatt's sunny disposition fell, his confused and saddened eyes lowering to the floor. "Sorry, Daddy..."

Severus raised himself to gather his collectedness, raking his fingers through his hair several times in the process. The boy obviously had managed to follow him and Hermione to the restaurant—_Thank Merlin he didn't separate himself from us!_—and even Side-Along Disapparated, all without managing to get caught. How he had done so without Severus or Hermione figuring out that they had extra company was utterly bewildering.

_The tug on my cloak..._ Severus suddenly realised, his eyes widening slightly in alarm.

"Daddy?" Severus blinked and peered down at Hyatt, whose sheepish eyes were now gazing back at him, and arched an eyebrow, waiting. "I just wanted to come along with you and Mummy. I... I'm really sorry."

In that moment, Severus quickly surmised that arguing with the boy would only worsen his mood. Hyatt was only five, after all, and wasn't yet aware of the gravity of what he had pulled off.

With a weighty sigh, Severus scrubbed at his angular face and brought his son into a tight embrace. "That was foolish and very dangerous, Hyatt," he issued into his son's curly hair before stepping back to look him in the eyes. "You could have been seriously injured traveling with Mummy and me like that. You aren't permitted to Disapparate yet." He continued more gently, "I'm just glad you're safe and unharmed."

Severus swiftly extracted his wand, cast his Patronus (Hyatt found _that_ particularly mesmerising to observe), and sent along a brief message to Hermione explaining the finding of their son and that they would be returning home shortly.

Once the silver fox flew off to deliver Severus's message, the wizard gathered his son into his arms, paid the bill—having hardly touched their food—and strolled down Diagon Alley two strides at a time with Hyatt in tow. They would Floo back home through a connection at The Leaky Cauldron.

_And, hopefully, Hermione and I can resume where we left off at Flourish & Botts._

Severus said a small, silent prayer as he and Hyatt disappeared through the grate in a flash of fluorescent green flames.

* * *

><p>Alas, resuming their date night wouldn't happen as smoothly nor as speedily as Severus had in mind.<p>

Upon his and Hyatt's return to the house, in addition to Hermione and Luna awaiting them, two Ministry of Magic personnel were also present. _Brilliant. Strike two_, Severus cursed inwardly, grinding his teeth together at the pang-filled sight of their long trench coats and bowler-style hats. He despised the Ministry openly, despite its many positive reformations since the downfall of the Dark Lord years ago, and preferred to keep all contact with their grisly lot to the minimum. _This better not take long._

Unfortunately, the two officials were not so easily shooed off of the Snapes's property. It was only after a thorough explanation was given by Severus regarding the incident, which was jotted down in writing by one of the two men, as well as a nonsensical series of questions and interrogations, that the boy was found to be innocent of any improper use of magic, given his delicate young age. Although Hyatt hadn't Disapparated on his own, the manner in which he had travelled—dangerously clinging to the back of Severus's cloak—had raised an alarm at the Ministry, enough to warrant checking out the disturbance for themselves.

By the time the officials cleared off, night had fallen and it was drawing close to the children's bedtimes. Still, Severus was adamant that their evening away from home should continue, though Hermione was far less inclined to leave after Hyatt's alarming get-away gag.

With Luna's added insistence, however, Hermione conceded, though she eyed her husband, perplexed, more than a handful of times before they got around to leaving the house. Whatever else Severus had in store, he was obviously quite adamant that they carry on with their evening plans, despite the unwanted interruptions that had already put a damper on things.

"Weren't we just discussing at dinner how meddlesome our children are?" Hermione snickered once they were back in Diagon Alley, strolling the cobble-stone streets at a more leisurely pace.

"We should have never brought them up in the first place," Severus teased back, though he hardly meant it.

"Mmm. Either we're cursed or..."

"No, we just have three children that are as troublesome little devils as _you_ were."

Hermione ceased walking to stare her husband down. "I beg your pardon?"

At this, Severus simply smirked and was promptly clapped on the arm for his brash remark.

They continued their slow saunter through the streets until Hermione mentioned still being hungry, so the couple made a stop at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, which had reopened since the end of the war, to share a mouth-watering hot fudge sundae that finally filled their stomachs to satisfaction.

Then, Severus led Hermione by the arm towards Flourish & Botts, with the intrigued witch pressing him for answers as they strolled side by side. "Severus, why are we going there? They close at eight o'clock, love."

"Would you just trust me, witch?"

Hermione pursed her lips and forced herself to remain patient as they approached the front of the bookshop, where a sign on the front door clearly read 'Closed' for the evening in big, bold ink; but, Severus knocked on the door anyway, leaving Hermione to ponder what was at hand.

To Hermione's utter surprise, they were soon greeted by the friendly store manager, who bustled them inside with a courteous "Welcome, Mr and Mrs Snape! Such a pleasure to have you back so soon!" and took the liberty of removing Hermione's shawl and stashing her purse away out of sight.

"What is this?" Hermione badgered her husband excitedly; it wasn't every day that _this_ sort of treatment occurred at Flourish & Botts.

"Never you mind," Severus baited her, a soft twinkle in his eyes provoking her to do just the opposite. "You'll see soon enough."

The store manager escorted them to the back of the shop to what had once been a cosy nook for the couple whenever they used to visit—for hours at a time—prior to the birth of their children. Two pink sofa chairs and a small working fireplace burned before them, the tight area surrounded by high, cramped shelves stacked to the brim with books. Between the chairs, which were nestled close together, was a table that held a silver tray and a teapot, two cups and saucers, and a tier of delicious sweets.

Hermione squealed with delight and clapped her hands together, elated. Dinner at a lovely restaurant (well, what little they had been able to savour of that experience) had been delightful, but _this_ unexpected surprise—a quaint evening spent in their former charming nook at Flourish & Botts for a bit of tea and casual reading—was positively perfection.

Hermione turned on her heel and leapt into Severus's arms, catching him off guard. He laughed quietly into her ear and closed his arms around the small of her back.

"I take it you're pleased with this arrangement?"

"Pleased?" Hermione scoffed and reared back to gaze up at him. "This is _smashing_!"

The store manager gave them permission to peruse the shop at their leisure and disappeared back towards the register at the front of the shop, leaving the two of them alone to enjoy a private snog and embrace. Hermione could barely contain herself as she took a seat next to her husband in one of the two chairs, sampled a brownie, and let the warmth of her tea trickle from her mouth down through to the tip of her toes.

Within minutes, the couple was gathering reading material from various shelves that each had been dying to catch up on—Severus, a new potions editorial by a known colleague in the field, and Hermione, a new autobiography by a wizard whose worldly adventures she admired—and reconvened at their spot, seated next to one another as they read with hungry pleasure and no children to disrupt their quietude.

"This is _perfect_, love," Hermione hummed satisfactorily after a half hour of blissful silence.

Severus turned to her and bent forward to tenderly kiss the back of her hand. "I'm glad you think so."

Hermione offered him a cheerful smile and grasped his hand tighter. She then resumed her reading, as did Severus, their hands remaining closely intertwined.

Minutes later, an unanticipated intrusion put a hold on their lovely evening. Luna's Patronus suddenly came flying through one of the nearby stacks and landed in front of them, though Hermione hadn't noticed on account of being so heavily engrossed in her book. Severus immediately noted its presence, however, and frowned, lowering his book onto his lap.

_Merlin's balls! What_ now_?!_

"Hello!" came Luna's dreamy voice through the rabbit's mouth, causing Hermione to startle in her chair. "The children went down. Sascha didn't seem all that tired, I'm afraid, but she's tucked in now and seems to be sleeping."

_'Seems' to be?_ Severus rattled; this was not part of the plan. _Why don't you make certain of it, for goodness' sake?_

"Well, I'll let you two get back to whatever it is you're doing," Luna prattled on, sounding as though she wasn't through talking, despite the many pauses. "I made the children some charms to wear around their necks when they sleep. They'll keep the nargles away and prevent so much tossing and turning and late night wakes."

_What?!_

Severus had bent forward in his chair, eyes now squinting suspiciously at the Patronus before them. Hermione silently tried to reassure him with an 'it's all right' expression.

"Just a thought." Luna paused again, leaving the couple staring on, dumbfounded, at the rabbit's prolonged silence. "Hungry," she proceeded a moment or two later. "I hope you have pudding. I do love pudding; it keeps me awake."

On that bizarre note, the rabbit finally pounced around their chairs and, in the next moment, it had disappeared. Severus fell back in his chair wearing a vexed sneer, and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I swear, Hermione, if Luna wasn't your friend..."

"Oh, c'mon, Severus," Hermione giggled at his expense, "she's harmless, really."

Severus merely gave her a challenging stare down that Hermione returned with a wider grin. She casually turned to the next page of her book and resumed reading as if there had been no interruption.

Severus, on the other hand, was finding it difficult to enjoy his magazine any longer. If Sascha wasn't tired, as Luna had so boldly assumed, she would likely be paying a late-night visit to their bedroom, which normally resulted in the wee one spending the entire night curled up between her parents.

_Not tonight, Sascha_, Severus thought in desperation. _Daddy needs Mummy to himself tonight. Just this once. Please. I beg you._

Nearly two hours later, Severus and Hermione were exiting the bookshop and heading home, their minds intellectually drunk on the reading material they had so contentedly consumed. They felt more like their "old" selves this evening which Hermione pointed out as she linked her arm through Severus's, and the deprived couple shared several more passionate kisses in the mostly deserted, darkened streets of Diagon Alley before Disapparating home.

* * *

><p>The atmosphere was sublime. The lights had been lowered, obviously setting the mood, and, though there was no romantic background music or pretty rose petals strewn about the bed or divine satin sheets to slink between, Severus <em>had<em> roused his wife into some much-wanted lovemaking.

Severus had put his plan into motion the moment Luna left the premises, starting by kissing his way up the back of Hermione's neck, gently pecking the soft points on her skin that made her shudder and gasp for more. Before long, a fully brazen Hermione was shoving him forcefully against the wall and grazing her fingers through his hair, snatching and pulling and tugging him towards their bedroom.

_Bloody brilliant._

Now, he had her exquisiteness lying beneath him, her beautiful body de-clothed and free for his greedy hands to browse, and a delectable set of lips that were moaning his name and whetting his appetite. The foreplay up to this point had been heavenly, each thoroughly sampling the other's sought-after touch.

Severus brought his forehead to Hermione's to greedily consume her mouth. "I'm sorry if tonight was somewhat spoiling for you," he murmured against her lips.

"Shut up and kiss me again," she hissed back, breathless, shivering with anticipation at the purr-like rumbling of the wizard's laughter.

Twisted and entwined between the sheets, they continued to rove their hands over each other and began kissing with fervour, Hermione's legs eventually sliding up the back of Severus's to wrap around his waist. Severus had momentarily stopped snogging his wife to mount himself at her entrance when every hair on the back of his neck unexpectedly stood at attention. All of a sudden, they weren't alone and...

_Oh, bugger all!_

"Mummy? Daddy?" came a sluggish-sounding mumble from the doorway.

Hermione yelped and clawed the sheets up around her neck, unintentionally kneeing Severus in the ribs. As he winced and fumbled to hop off of his wife and cover himself as well, Severus lost his balance and dropped off the opposite side of the bed, landing with a tremendous _thud_.

A low "_Umff_!" followed by a muffled "_Ouch_!" followed suit.

"Oh!" Hermione covered her mouth at the comical sight of the top of disarrayed, inky-coloured hair on the floor next to her. "Love, are you all right?"

Severus growled his curt answer. His flushed face appeared over top of the duvet, eyes squinting across the room and spotting the outline of their daughter by the door, who was sauntering further into the room. Her blankie was bundled under one arm, and, with her crinkled nose, she was shooting Severus a funny look.

"Daddy, did you fall off the bed?"

Severus's cheeks reddened. He didn't answer, but, really, it wasn't necessary. His humiliation about the whole debacle—falling off the bed _and_ being caught naked _and_ having his and Hermione's lovemaking sorely interrupted by one of their children—spoke for itself.

A slow trickle of laughter filtered into the room, starting with Hermione and ending with Sascha joining in. After listening to the two go from suppressed giggles to loud cackling, Severus relaxed, rolled his eyes, and, dismayed, shook his head.

_Brilliant. Strike three._

"Here, put these on, love."

Hermione had _Accio_'ed a pair of Severus's pyjama bottoms from his dresser drawer and tossed them to him to slide into. She leaned over the side of the bed and pecked him sweetly on the lips.

"Another time, perhaps?" she suggested for his ears alone.

With a burdensome sigh, Severus concurred, though disappointedly. "I suppose we must."

Hermione's understanding smile and wink livened him a tad. The evening's affairs had not gone as either of them predicted, but, as his wife's fond expression proposed, there _would_ be another time. Hopefully, soon.

As Severus shuffled into his pyjamas on the floor, Sascha crawled her way into the centre of her parents' bed, rubbing wearily at her eyes and complaining to Hermione about her inability to fall back asleep on her own.

"_Please_?" she implored enchantingly, pushing out her lower lip. "Can I sleep with you, Mummy? Daddy?"

Now properly clothed, Severus rose to his feet and walked around to the other end of the bed. Without issuing a word, he climbed in beside their daughter, with Hermione lying on the opposite side, and swaddled the tiny tot in his arms, who came to him with ease.

"Of course you can, sweetheart," he murmured warmheartedly as he placed a kiss on top of her head, "but only for tonight. Tomorrow, you sleep in your own bed, all right?"

"Okay, Daddy!"

"Good girl."

Sascha snuggled into Severus's chest, happy and sleepy, whilst Hermione warmed the sheets and tucked her family in for the night, herself included. She eyed her husband, who was settled against his plush pillow with Sascha's curly head nestled beneath his chin, and mouthed an emphatic 'Tomorrow,' before shutting her eyes.

Yes, this evening's botched-up date night certainly hadn't gone as Severus Snape intended, and yet, as he watched his bewitching wife and beautiful daughter slowly drifting off beside him, their faces tranquil and dreamlike, a heartened thought crossed his mind prior to joining them in their restful slumber.

_No... Tonight hasn't been so bad after all..._

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN #2: Thank you for reading. Reviews are always greatly appreciated. And a very Happy Birthday to Severus Snape!**_  
><em>


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